Suction cleaner



OCt. 25, R. c QRN SUCTION CLEANER Filed Nov. 28, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

Edi/i 6. 05%0277. BY

United States Patent SUCTION CLEANER Ralph C. Osborn, Bloomington, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Henney Motor Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 28, 1952, Serial No. 323,050

3 Claims. (Cl. 183-37) This invention relates to suction cleaners in general and has particular reference to a suction cleaner of the canister type. A cleaner of the type contemplated by this invention comprises an upright bucket-shaped casing having air inlet and outlet openings therein, a partition dividing the casing into an upper suction chamber and a lower eX- haust chamber, a motor-fan unit supported on the partition, and a removable and replaceable dust filtering bag arranged between the air inlet and the motor-fan unit.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner of the canister type having a new and improved arrangement of the parts thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mounting arrangement for the motor-fan unit of a suction cleaner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a canister cleaner having a new and imported filtering arrangement.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there is one sheet, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying the principles of my invention. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The single figure of the drawing is a vertical sectional view of a canister type cleaner constructed according to the principles of this invention, and such cleaner may comprise a cleaner body indicated generally at provided by upper and lower body sections 12 and 14 respectively. The body sections 12 and 14 are generally cylindrical in cross sectional configuration and are provided with peripheral flanges 16 and 18 detachably secured together at their meeting edges by suitable fastening means, such as screws 20.

The upper shell 12 has an upper wall 22 provided with a central opening 24. A removable and replaceable dust filtering bag 26 is arranged within the opening 24 and is clamped to the upper body section 12 by a detachable cover 28 provided with an air inlet fitting 30. A motorfan unit indicated generally at 32 is supported within the casing 10 by a partition 34 which is clamped between the upper and lower body sections 12 and 14 and which separates the casing 10 into an upper suction chamber 36 and a lower exhaust chamber 38. The lower shell 14 is provided with an exhaust outlet fitting 40, and the motorfan unit is operable to create a flow of air through the casing so that dirt laden air flowing through the inlet fitting 30 is directed into the dust bag 26 which separates the dust and dirt from such air.

The dust filtering bag 26 may be made of a suitable fibrous or paper material, and the mouth thereof may have a rim member 42 suitably secured thereto, such as by stitching. The rim 42 provides a convenient means of handling the bag 26 when removing or replacing the same. The rim 42 has a flange 44 adapted to seat on a resilient 2,721,624 Patented Oct. 25, 1955 gasket 46 which is seated around the edge of the opening 24 in the wall 22 of the upper casing 12 and is clamped against such gasket by the cover 28. The gasket 46 has a ring 48 secured thereto, and a protective cloth bag 50 is secured to the lower end of ring 48 by means of a wire 52 or in some other suitable manner. As is apparent from the drawing, the bag 50, which may be made of cloth or any other suitable material, surrounds the fragile paper bag 26, and both of such bags are arranged to spread out substantially in the manner shown when suction is created by the fan unit 32.

The cover 28 is provided with two or more fastening devices 54 adapted to cooperate with threaded studs 56 secured to the upper wall 22 of the casing 12, and when the fasteners 54 are threaded onto studs56, cover 28 will be clamped against the upper wall 22 and the resilient gasket 46, and bag 26 will be securely clamped in airtight relation between the under side of the cover 28 and the wall 22.

The air inlet fitting 30 comprises a generally L-shaped body having an air passage 58 extending therethrough. The lower end 60 of the fitting 38 extends through a central opening 62 in the cover 28 and is freely rotatable within the opening 62 so as to provide a swivel fitting to which the usual hose or other attachment (not shown) may be attached. The fitting 30 is retained within opening 62 by means of a split ring 64 arranged within a pcripheral groove in the lower end of the fitting and adapted to engage the lower end of a flange 66 formed around opening 62 in cover 28. The laterally extending end 68 of the fitting 30 is adapted to receive the usual suction cleaner hose or the like, and a latch 70 pivoted to the fitting by means of a pin 72 is biased into the position shown by a spring 74 for detachably securing the hose or attachment to the coupling 30. A U-shaped handle 76 is pivotally connected to the body of the fitting 30 and provides a means for lifting or carrying the cleaner.

The partition 34 is formed at the central portion thereof to provide a cup-shaped portion 78 having a central opening 80 therein. The motor-fan unit 32 comprises an electric motor indicated at 82 having the usual armature 84 provided with a fan shaft 86 having two impellers 88 rigidly secured thereto and adapted to draw air through the opening 90 in fan housing 92 and to discharge such air into the exhaust chamber 38 through openings 94 provided in the end cap 96 of the motor which is secured to the fan housing 92 in the manner shown.

An inverted cup-shaped bag supporting member 98 is secured to a horizontal portion of partition 34 by a series of screws 100, and an annular gasket 102 is arranged between partition 34 and the peripheral flange 104 of the supporting member 98. The supporting member 98 together with portion 78 of partition 34 define a hollow chamber within which the motor-fan unit is disposed. The supporting member is provided with a series of openings 106 in the cylindrical wall 108 thereof, such openings providing a communication between the fan inlet 90 and the suction chamber 36 above partition 34.

A secondary filter 110 in the form of a band of filter material Wrapped around the cylindrical wall 108 of supporting member 98, covers openings 106 and filters the air flowing into the fan inlet 90. The secondary filter 110 may comprise a fine mesh screen having suitable fibrous material embedded therein, and is adapted to filter from the air which is passed through the dust bag 26 and cloth bag 50 any dust particles which may have escaped from the dust bag. The filter 110 may have its ends suitably joined together and is readily removable and replaceable.

An annular ring 112 of resilient material is arranged between the lower end of fan housing 92 and the edge of partition 34 which defines the opening 80 therein and forms a seal between the fan housing and the partition 34. A plurality of resilient members 114 are suitably secured to the end wall 116 of supporting member 98 and .are adapted to be compressed against the end wall .of fan housing 92, the fan housing in turn being compressed against resilient ring 112. The compression of the resilient .ring 112 and resilient members 114 against opposite ends of the fan housing 92 provides a resilient and yet substantially rigid mounting for the motor-fan .unit 32 on the partition 34. The resilient mounting reduces vibration of the motor-fan unit.

A sound absorbing means 118 is arranged on the bottom wall 120 of the lower casing section 14 and may comprise a suitable fibrous material covered by a layer of metal foil 122. The end cap 96 of the motor penetrates the sound absorbing material 118 to some extent, as shown in the drawing, and is cushioned on the sound absorbing means 118.

A muffier 124 in the form of an annular ring is clamped between the casing sections 12 and 14 and surrounds the portion 78 of partition 34 in the manner shown so as to provide an annular air space 126 between the parti tion and the outer wall of the casing 14. The muffier 124 has a central opening 128 therein through which the motor 82 projects. Annular gaskets may be provided between the peripheral flanges of upper casing 12, partition 34, muffler 124, and lower casing 14 in order to provide an air-tight casing.

The exhaust outlet 40 from the lower end of the casing is formed in a fitting 130 which is suitably secured within an opening formed in casing section 14. If it is desired to use the cleaner as a blower unit rather than a suction unit, the fitting 130 may be used as a coupling to connect a hose or other attachment to the exhaust chamber 38. When the cleaner is used as a suction device it may be found desirable to provide a diffuser at the exhaust opening as shown at 132. Such diffuser may comprise any suitable means for dilfusing the air flowing through outlet 40, and in the present instance comprises a substantially U-shaped spring clip detachably connected to exhaust fitting 130 and having a central portion against which the stream of air is directed for deflecting such stream of air.

The electric motor 82 may be connected to a source of power by means of a cord 134, and a flexible strap 136 is secured to the upper casing 12 and provides a convenient means for securing the cord 134 to the cleaner in coiled condition when the cleaner is not in use.

.An annular ring 138, C-shaped in cross section and formed of resilient material, encloses the laterally turned flanges 16 and 18 to improve the appearance of the cleaner and to providea bumper for preventing the cleaner from marring furniture with which it may come in contact.

The disposable filtering bag 26 is readily removable from the cleaner'by merely loosening the fasteners 54 and removing the .cover 28 so as to expose the rim 42 of the bag .26. A new bag 26 may then be inserted into the cleaner, .and by momentarily turning on the electric motor the cloth bag 50 and the paper bag 26 will both be drawn into the proper positions within the suction chamber 36. The bag supporting member 98 projects toward the inlet of the cleaner and provides a support against which the bags 50.and 26 are seated when the cleaner is in operation so that such bags will spread out andpresent the maximum obtainable surface for trapping dirt contained in the air flowing through the cleaner.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish'to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself .of'such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

IcIaim:

.1. .A;suction cleaner comprising an upright body provided by uppertand lower body sections detachably secured together, said upper section having a top wall provided with a dust bag opening therein, a detachable cover for closing said opening and having an air inlet therein, a cloth filter bag having a rim seated on said top wall around said dust bag opening, a removable and replaceable dust filtering bag disposed inside of said cloth bag and having a rim seated on said rim of said cloth bag, means for detachably securing said cover to said top wall with said rims clamped between said upper section and cover, a horizontally arranged partition extending across said body below said cloth bag and dividing said body into an upper suction chamber and a lower exhaust chamber, a motor-fan unit supported onsaid partition and operable to create a flow of air from said suction to said exhaust chamber, means providing an exhaust outlet from said exhaust chamber, a bag supporting member between said unit and said cloth bag, said supporting member being secured to said partition and surrounding the upper end of said unit, and resilient means compressed between said unit and said bag supporting member and between said unit and said partition for'resiliently supporting said unit from said partition, said bag supporting member having a cylindrical wall provided with a series of openings therein, and a secondary filter member in the form of a flexible cylindrical band surrounding said cylindrical wall and covering said openings therein.

2. A suction cleaner comprising an upright body provided by upper and lower body sections secured together at their meeting edges, said upper section having a dust bag opening in its upper wall, a detachable cover for closing said opening and having an air inlet therein, a removable and replaceable dust filtering bag having its mouth in registry with said dust bag opening and clamped between said upper section and cover, a horizontally arranged partition clamped between said sections and extending across said body below said dust bag and dividing said body into an upper suction chamber and a lower exhaust chamber, an'inverted cup-shaped dust bag supporting member secured to said partition and projecting upwardly therefrom, said bag supporting member having a series of radially extending openings therein and being imperforate except for said series of openings, a motor-fan unit supported on said partition and enclosed by said bag supporting member in spaced relation relative thereto, said unit having a fan and an inlet thereto communicating with said series of openings in said bag supporting member and being operable to create a flow of air from said suction to said exhaust chamber, means providing an exhaust outlet from said exhaust chamber, said partition having a central opening through which a part of said motor fan unit projects into said exhaust chamber, an annular baffle clamped between said sections and extending across said exhaust chamber below said partition and spaced therefrom to define an annular air space between said partition and bafile, said baffle having a central opening through which said part of said unit projects, the space between said partition and baflle communicating with said exhaust chamber through said central opening in said baffle, resilient means compressed between said unit and said bag supporting member, and other resilient means compressed between said unit and said partition for resiliently supporting said unit from said partition.

3. A suction cleaner comprising an upright body provided by separable body sections detachably secured together, one of said sections having a dust bag opening in one wall thereof, a detachable cover for closing said opening and having an air inlet therein, a removable and replaceable dust filtering bag having its mouth in registry with said dust bag opening and clamped between said one section and cover, a partition within said body inwardly of said dust bag and dividing said body into a suction chamber and an exhaust chamber, a motorfan unit supported by said partition and operable to create a flow of air from said suction to said exhaust chamber, said partition having a central opening through which a part of said unit projects into said exhaust chamber, means providing an exhaust outlet from said exhaust chamber, an annular bafiie extending across said body inwardly of said partition and spaced therefrom to define an annular air space between said partition and baflle, said bafiie having a central opening therein through which said part of said unit projects, the space between said partition and bafiie communicating with said exhaust chamber through said central opening in said baflie, a dust bag supporting member between said unit and said dust bag, said supporting member being secured to said partition in sealing relation and having a series of openings therein communicating with the fan of said unit and being imperforate except for said openings, and a removable and replaceable secondary filter covering said series of openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,205 Webb et a1. Jan. 4, 1910 2,327,810 McAnerney Aug. 24, 1943 2,539,195 Lang Jan. 23, 1951 2,562,996 Winthrop Aug. 7, 1951 2,583,949 Kendrick Jan. 29, 1952 2,608,268 Gerber Aug. 26, 1952 2,661,078 Vance Dec. 1, 1953 

